Letters from Home
by I.Dream.Of.Hardyz
Summary: Ally works at a diner where one morning she meets Austin Moon, a young soldier about to leave on his first deployment, a year long trip to the war zone of Afghanistan. Despite the obvious flirting that goes on, she turns him down and says she's not interested. He's not exactly one to give up... what happens when she receives a letter from an unknown address with her name on it?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I hope you guys will like this story. **

**It's a bit happier than my other story right now, but it also has a lot of sad aspects too. It deals with war. And when I say it deals with war, I don't mean it's mentioned in a few chapters and all that, briefly. I have friends who are currently fighting overseas in Afghanistan who deal with some scary things everyday, and I'd like to incorporate that into my story. Of course, there are things that just don't belong in a story on a website like this, so it won't ever be to the point where you can't read it. But it is a love story and it is Auslly, and I must say, there is something very attractive about Ross Lynch in a camo uniform... but maybe it's just me. ;)**

**There are a lot of fun parts of this story as well, and if you want to know what inspired the story, just ask in the review and I'll explain in the next chapter.**

**Last note... I don't tolerate any sort of abuse of the military. I don't care if you support the war, or anything that has to do with the war, but if I see anyone attacking the troops in any way, I will block you from posting on this story. Like I said, I have friends currently overseas. Thanks.**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Everything had been average of that day. She'd gotten up, gotten dressed, gone to work, and had been counting down the minutes since she'd gotten there. But of course, this was Ally Dawson we were talking about. When she was being average, this honestly meant something a little different. When she had gotten up, she had tripped over her comforter and into the floor, smashing her face into the carpet. When she had gotten dressed, she had spilled that juice on her favorite shirt, resulting in a change of clothes last minute before running out the door. And when she had gotten to work? Well, let's just say some poor soul was wearing his eggs instead of eating them. All average in the name of Ally.

She watched the morning crowd dwindle as it aged on, ten turning into eleven and the cook calling for the last of the breakfast orders. Ally smiled at him with a nod. It wasn't like most people who came here weren't regulars anyway, at least in the off season. Mid January, the weather was nice for Miami, but it didn't mean there were any tourists. Bob the truck driver was in one corner, while Travis's twin boys were trying to stick their sausage in their noses while their father argued with some guy on the phone. Then there was Amy and her grandmother, who she spent every Monday with. All regulars, all part of a regular day.

That should have been the first clue. All regular days have to have something extraordinary to make them special, don't they?

Ally cleared off another table and slipped the tip into her pocket when she heard the door chime from behind her. She heard it close with a swoosh and swirled on her heel to see a man standing several feet away from her, his head resting toward his shoes. But there was nothing more obvious than the clothes he wore. Meant to do the exact opposite of what they did right then, the man in the camo army gear looked up and Ally almost dropped the dirty dishes in her hands.

She grasped them firmly and tried to put a smile on her face as she neared him.

"Hi, welcome to Bridget's Diner. Just you?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "Mind if I sit at the counter?"

"Not at all. Make yourself at home. I'm just going to drop these off in the kitchen and I'll be right back to take your order." He nodded as she walked into the other room and peeked at him from where he couldn't see her. He had to be about her age, fresh out of high school, maybe about to start college like her, but of course, had joined the army instead.

He was quite attractive, if she was being shallow. His hair, which seemed at one point dyed, was a creamy light brown, almost blond, freshly cut to meet the army standards. He had eyes that were big and wide, and friendly, if she was honest despite the quiet entrance he'd made. And she could almost bet that he had a great smile. But that was still up for consideration. He set the hat that was formerly on his head on the space next to him, grabbing a menu and glancing briefly over it. He closed it within seconds. Ally took this as her cue to go over there.

Putting a smile on her face, she leaned over to where he sat. "Anything to drink to start?"

"Water would be fine, miss."

"Okay, great. See you didn't look at the menu all that much. Are you ready to order?"

"Do you have pancakes?" His voice turned childlike for just a second.

Ally smiled apologetically. "We do, but I'm afraid you just missed the breakfast cut off."

For the first time, he flashed a small smile. She had been right. It was a winning one as well. "Darn. Was hoping my last meal before heading off to the sandbox would be my favorite."

Ally blinked. "Sandbox?"

"I leave for Afghanistan at noon," he admitted quietly. Her heart dropped for the young boy. He was going to war? Of course, the uniform meant he worked in the army, but it didn't mean he was going to war. "We've got a year long deployment in front of us."

She forced a lump down in her throat. Some of her family were veterans. How could she say no to someone who was going to serve their country? She placed her hand on his. "Tell you what. Let me go talk to the cook and see if I could pull some strings. Give me a couple minutes." He started to protest, but she shook her head. "No, no. It's okay. You're giving enough up for the next year. You deserve those pancakes."

A half hour later, Ally watched as the boy polished off the last of his pancakes, his face satisfied as he leaned back against the counter chair. Ally stood where she was a moment more, still unable to believe how strikingly handsome he was and wondered just how someone could be that attractive. Her head shook at her own thoughts. She didn't know him and she had no right to think about him in that way. She walked back over to where he was sitting and he glanced up, placing a warm, honest smile on his face.

"Best I've ever had," he quipped.

She giggled a bit, shaking her head. "Is that so?"

"It's true," he also laughed. "How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house. Thank you for your service."

He again started to protest, but she shook her head once more. "No, no. We insist."

"Thank you, miss. Would it be impolite of me to ask your name?"

She was surprised she didn't mention it to him yet. Usually, that was the first thing she said to a customer, but it wasn't all that weird considering he wasn't exactly her usual customer. "Ally. Ally Dawson."

"Austin Moon." He offered his hand. "Pleasure is all mine."

"Does the army make you that polite or did your mama just raise someone that sweet?"

He laughed again, his entire face cracking with happiness. "Maybe it's a bit of both."

"Oh," she giggled. "Well, it's been nice to meet you." She glanced at the clock. "Afraid it's almost noon. Don't you have a bus to catch?" He seemed disheartened by her news. He nodded his head and rose from the chair. His eyes and demeanor seemed suddenly apprehensive. Ally watched his next movements. His eyes met hers.

"Would it be impolite of me to ask for your address?"

Ally was taken back at first, but then confused. "I don't know. May I ask why?"

"Well, I don't really have any family of my own. You seem sweet. I'd like to write a letter to you. If that's okay with you. If it's not, you don't have to give me anything."

Ally bit down on her lip, knowing not only would her parents not appreciate her doing that, nor would her on again off again boyfriend Dallas. Of course, they were currently on a break, but it still didn't sit well with her. Her expression seemed to give it away. He went to apologize, but she shook her head. "I'm sorry. It's just… I have a boyfriend."

"Oh." His face had returned to the stoic one she'd first met. "I understand. Thanks again for breakfast." He paused as he opened the door, a smile back on his face. But it didn't quite make her feel better. "Maybe I'll see you in a year."

She nodded. "Good luck over there."


	2. Chapter 2

**You guys are AWESOME. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, alerted, and favorite. You guys are everything to my writing. You make me love to write more. Hopefully this story will be a lot of fun for you guys to read.**

**As to what inspired this story? I volunteer for an organization called Soldiers Angels. To make a long story short, one of the most known things we do is something called adopt a soldier. I have adopted someone who is deployed to a war zone, and for the length of their deployment have sent letters and care packages reminding them how important they are, and how much I appreciate what they do. I don't hear back from everyone, and actually, you don't hear back from most. Maybe one in five. But the one you do hear back from... makes it worth it. People say letters make all the difference. Things in a package are nice, so they say. But a letter brings you home for a moment, takes you to a place you can't find in a war zone. To me, that's special and I think that should be written about. For the sake of this story, no one is real. As in, no one outside of the show is a real person. That's against the organizations rules, but things have been based off things I've been told, and some locations and things you will read are true. Some things about this chapter:  
I tried to make it so you could understand if not, but again, if not here are some tips. Also, I'm not an expert. I have friends who email me in military chat and I just sit there and go... English please? And they laugh and tell me what they meant.  
SSG Staff Sergeant. It's someone who is usually second in command of a platoon (about forty men usually). In retrospect, they're not that high up, but they do have authority.  
FOB Sharana is a real base. It's one of the top five most dangerous parts of Afghanistan today. An FOB is a forward operating base. It's a larger post that usually has a PX on it (place to buy things), a chow hall, and of course living places. The FOB isn't the worst of them out there, but it's by the mountains where it's highly dangerous for anyone to be at any time.  
An IED is an improvised explosive device. One of the leading killers of soldiers in this war. They can be set off from miles away, sometimes from a cell phone, or sometimes when you roll over them. They're usually filled with gross things, and if they don't kill you, can really hurt you.  
PVT is one of the least authority holding titles of the army, usually for someone just out of boot camp.**

**And I believe that's all that you see in this chapter for military speak. If you have any questions, let me know. But that's mostly what inspired this story. As well as the songs Travelin' Soldier by the Dixie Chicks (a lot of the first chapter was based off that song) and then the title of the story was taken from the actual song Letters from Home which doesn't actually have as much to do with the story, but really is the basis behind what matters in this story. Now that I've talked a lot... sorry. This chapter is another one to set up the story, and then in the next one, you'll see why Ally and Dallas aren't going to work in the long run, you'll meet some of Austin's buddies, and you'll see a bit more of Afghanistan and such.**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Austin sat on the plane that would take him to a land he had never been to before. Around him, sat men and women on the same journey as him, some handling it better than others. Some you could tell they were nervous, through ticks or obvious actions, while others were the epitome of what the army did to you… expressionless. Austin was somewhere in between. Nothing back home was really holding him there, but it didn't mean he wasn't scared shitless about flying into a place where people wanted him dead just because of the uniform he wore. He was barely eighteen. Barely of age and barely able to make his own decisions if you asked others. But according to the papers he signed, he was able to do this.

He just hoped they were right.

His mind was whirling, unable to stop to honestly process anything. For the next year, a foreign land would be his home. He would bunk with complete strangers. Sure, some of them trained together, some he'd even become friends with… but he didn't really know them. He didn't know what made them happy, or what made their lives. The one to his right would talk about a fiery Latino who he swore he didn't like constantly. How she was a crazy person, someone that he could never see himself with… yet his words seemed to scream the opposite. He was surprised they weren't together. And the other to his left… well, he left behind a young woman who he swore to marry that could be pregnant with his first child… but they weren't sure yet.

Austin didn't have any of that. His family left his side the moment he decided to take his own path and not follow down the footsteps of his parents. They didn't want anything to do with their son, the one who wanted to join the army, instead of running the family store. He didn't mind working there growing up, but he didn't want to spend his life there. There wasn't much to be desired of it, either. It brought in a steady income, enough to make ends meet and allow for a family vacation every year, but his parents didn't exactly live on the crazy side. He wasn't asking for millions. But he did want enough to maybe explore the world a little. His education would be paid for by the army when he completed his four years. He could get a degree; do whatever h wanted after that. Who could say no? Well, despite the fact that he was on a plane to Afghanistan right then… who could say no?

He stopped at the thought of the last person he'd seen before boarding the bus that took him to where he was. A gentle soul, a sweet girl who had gone out of her way to make him happy, with no motives other than to make him smile. He had to admit; she was a beautiful girl. She seemed so honest and pure, someone who he'd love to get to know better. Of course, she had turned him down the moment he tried to do so, but he couldn't really blame her. Who wants to get involved with a guy who might not even make it home? It was an unfortunate reality to some, and he couldn't pretend he was not a part of that small chance. No one was guaranteed a plane ticket home. It was part of the thing you signed up for when you put your name on that line. You might not make it back.

He didn't want to think that way, but it was clear that she might have. Besides that, she mentioned a boyfriend. And who wouldn't want to date someone like her? She probably was just as perfect to the boy she had mentioned. Maybe he was going to be a lawyer, or a doctor. Someone with a secure future and a steady income. What did he have to offer her anyway? A rifle and a shaky next year? Someone like her deserved so much more than that.

So why couldn't he get her out of his mind? All he wanted was to talk to her again. Hear her voice, that soft giggle and gentle, honest smile. He was a good person, couldn't that be enough? He sighed as the plane shook just a bit, maybe going over a bit of a storm. He glanced out the window, peeking over the redhead next to him to see nothing but clouds. They weren't there yet, but it couldn't be much longer.

Ally nearly collapsed onto her bed after a grueling day at the diner. She had been asked to stay late when her afternoon replacement had a family emergency and wouldn't be able to make it that day. It had left her working a nearly twelve hour shift, and while the tips she'd made doing it were amazing, she never wanted to work that long ever again. Besides that, her phone had been buzzing nonstop. She cringed to see a familiar name on the screen. Five missed calls from Dallas.

"Shit," she swore under her breath, forgetting she had made plans to hang out with him over an hour ago. She didn't have the energy to call him just yet; her body was begging for a shower. She quickly sent him a text and then dragged herself into the bathroom, putting the hot water on and slipping inside the shower. It felt so perfect. Ally immediately forgot about the screaming child who threw food all over the place, or her boss's angry voice yelling at one of the other waitresses who showed up late again with no reason. Instead all she thought about was… the soldier? Ally felt her eyes fly back open. Why did he come to mind? And why now after all the hours she had forgotten about him in?

It was like he was thinking of her too, somewhere over the ocean on his way to the desert. Ally laughed at this. He probably hated her and hadn't thought of her face since she turned him down hours ago. She was rude, but he didn't understand Dallas. He was a really nice guy, but he did get jealous easily. If she started to talk to him, she would never fix their relationship. And Dallas was all she knew. She met him at fifteen and they had been dating since then. Of course, the last few months had been a bit rocky, but didn't every relationship have problems like that? Ally knew they just needed a break. It would all be okay, and she didn't need some boy, especially a soldier getting in the way of that, even if he seemed like such a nice guy.

Ally turned off the shower after a few minutes and slipped into a comfortable pair of jeans and a t shirt. Normally, she was prone to wearing dresses and things like that, but there was no way she could even think about something like that after the day she'd had. After grabbing an apple and a water, she picked up her phone again and decided to call Dallas and let him know what had happened.

"Ally?" was his answer, after picking up on the second ring.

"I'm so sorry, Dallas. Bridget needed me to stay late today, and I totally forgot about our… uh… date today. If you want to meet for dinner instead, I'm all for that."

He seemed calm. "Sure. That's fine. I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Sounds good," she replied with a smile. Good. No hard feelings. "See you then."

"Bye sweetheart. Love you."

"Bye, Dallas."

Austin got off the plane and within an hour of being in the country, knew it was going to be the longest year of his life. Within an hour of being off the plane, he had seen some of the most bizarre things he'd ever seen, and had also heard more gunfire in the distance than he ever had living in a town that had its fair share of it growing up. They drove nearly an hour into a more rural part of an already rural country, driving past many cars and other vehicles some local, some foreign.

The others were chatting, those in his unit, about the country and what they had seen so far. He didn't have the energy to speak up himself, but was listening in on what they had to say. Most of it wasn't exactly positive. A lot of them were on their first deployment, first time away from home, and despite the obvious sucking up they were doing to each other, it was clear; everyone was scared.

"Okay, listen up!" a voice suddenly spoke. Austin looked up to see one of the higher ups in his unit stand, his eyes thick with concentration. "Prepare for a briefing."

Everyone quieted down.

SSG (Staff Sergeant) Lynch glanced over those in his platoon. He was responsible for about forty men, one of them being Austin. He didn't crack a smile as the others stared back at him. "We are close to arriving at our FOB. So I've been told, it's not the best amenities, but that is not of importance. We are not here to live comfortably for the next year; we are here to complete our mission at stake."

Austin attempted to listen, but the sights around him were getting less and less humanized and more and more mountainy. They passed maybe one truck over the next few miles.

"What FOB are we stationed in, sir?" PVT Worthy asked. The redhead smiled at his upper, despite the man's calm and collected persona. The redhead was always someone who was smiling and no one could ever seem to crack that.

"FOB Sharana. Our mail will be sent here, and while the actual base is quite well off, we will not be there often." Austin bit down on his tongue to keep from thinking about the coming months. Missions would be one of the many things to come while he was there. An infantry unit he was a part of, one that would be doing things such as clearing the route of IEDs, or explosive devices which have already killed many and wounded more, as well as patrolling the area to keep track of the insurgents (enemy) that were nestled in the mountains that they currently passed. He glanced that way. A person could be in any nook or cranny of those mountains, just waiting to hit a button and blow up their entire truck. It was a scary thought.

"Moon!" Worthy was staring at him.

He noticed the truck had stopped. "We're here," he realized.

Worthy nodded as he got up. "Welcome to hell," he added with a slight smile.


	3. Chapter 3

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REALLY NICE REVIEWS, THE AMOUNT OF FAVORITES AND ALSO THE ALERTS. You guys have made this story so** **awesome already. I'm not crazy about this chapter. I was going back and forth for about a week trying to decide what to do with Rocky's character in this story. He's the only Lynch in the story, and he isn't even a Lynch in it. At first, I had an idea to try to do a thing with Rockliff as an actual couple. If you're not aware what Rockliff is,its a pairing between Rocky and Ratliff from R5. But I'm not so sure how well received it would be, and then it would sort of take over the background and while they'll be important, I'm not sure how that would work and so, I left him with a currently nameless girlfriend. Also, the Taylor in this story is based off Taylor Mathews and much like his character, he's not exactly someone I could see in the military. If you're not familiar with Taylor, google him and fall in love. He's such a sweetheart, and you will love his music.**

**As for this chapter, it's pretty choppy. It's not my favorite, but it's all the stuff that explains the set up and how it starts and all that. That's always the chapters that I hate to write.**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ally stared out the window of her house, waiting for Dallas to arrive. It was five minutes to seven, and he was never one to be late. On that thought, a car horn beeped and she looked up to see him in her drive way, texting on his phone. Her phone beeped seconds later and she ran out the door, grabbing her bag on the way.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she slipped into the seat.

He glanced up from his phone and smiled back at her. As she put on her seat belt, he pulled out of the drive way and onto the road. He didn't say a word as they pulled onto another road and Ally had to wonder where they were going. "Dallas?"

He didn't answer. "Dallas?"

Suddenly, he was speeding, his foot pushing on the gas pedal harder and harder. His smile turned mean and he almost laughed at the panicked look on her face. "Ally!" he was yelling now, his mouth now hysterical with laughter. "Ally!"

"Ally!" Suddenly she was back on her couch, her heart pounding and her mind freaking out. Dallas was shaking her, but had stopped calling her name. When she finally opened her eyes, he seemed to relax. "Are you okay? You seemed really out of it."

"I'm fine," she lied. "Just really tired. I'm sorry. How long have you been here?"

He checked his phone. "About five minutes. Are you ready to go?"

She nodded, trying to forget the dream. "Where are we going?"

He grabbed her bag on the way out, handing it to her when they got into the car. "I figured the usual. If that's okay."

"Yeah, that's fine." It grew silent as he pulled onto the road and drove toward one of their favorite places, and the place of their first date, a small restaurant that served just about any sort of food you could want. It was locally owned and reasonably priced, one of the many reasons why they both liked it. It only took a few minutes to arrive, and Ally couldn't notice how they hadn't said a word to each other since they got into the car. This was part of the problem, she knew.

Inside, they were seated in a booth toward the back, thankfully away from the crowd. Ally wanted to talk about their relationship, and hopefully get on the same page and fix the mess that had been going on for nearly a month. Both of them were busy, working a lot of hours and trying to save money. So it was hard to find time to actually make plans and hang out.

"What do you want?"

Ally shrugged. There were so many favorites here, so many things she loved that she wasn't sure what she wanted. "I think I'll go with the burger and fries. Keep it simple."

"Sounds good." Ally paused. "Maybe I'll get that too."

He sent her a look at that, but Ally missed it. Soon enough, their waitress had come and gone, and they were back to staring at their phones, waiting for the other to make a comment and fix the mess they were in. Neither were ready to give up on their relationship and say they were honestly done, but also had no idea what had gone wrong, or how to get back to where they were.

"Dallas?" Ally decided to say something first. He glanced up from his phone. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," he said flatly.

"What about us?" she continued quietly. "Since when do we have a problem talking? I don't remember it ever being this awkward."

"I don't know," he repeated.

She grew frustrated. "You're not even trying! You act like you don't even care about me sometimes, I swear. What is going on? Talk to me. You're my boyfriend, aren't you?"

He blinked several times at her outburst, but couldn't give an answer. He hung his head down and looked toward the restaurant. Ally sighed, going back to her phone. What a pointless date this was.

Suddenly, another waiter came up to them. He glanced at the two, both staring at their phones instead of each other and cleared his throat. Ally was first to look up and she smiled at the boy. "Hi."

"Just wanted to let you know there has been a change in waiters," he said quickly. "I'm going to be finishing your order for the night. Your food should be out soon. Let me know if you have any problems." He grinned at her, his eyes smiling when suddenly Dallas coughed. They locked eyes for a moment, looking at each other like competition and then the waiter left. Ally grew annoyed by the reddening of Dallas's face. She knew exactly what was to come next.

"Must you flirt with every person whose got a dick here?" he spat.

She laughed at his stupid remark, shaking her head. "It's called being polite, you should try it some time, Dallas."

"Polite? He was basically undressing you with his eyes," he growled. "And you were letting him."

"What do you want me to do?" she whispered, trying to ignore the looks they were suddenly getting. Dallas was never one to have an inside voice, especially when he was angry with someone. "Hold your hand and shout I'm yours? Because I don't know why you're getting mad at me. All I did was smile at him and thank him."

"You're missing the point," he said, then added, "Actually, you are the point."

"Screw you," she mumbled. "Maybe you're missing the point. Actually," she said, mocking his voice seconds before. "You are the point. No, you're the problem. You can't see that you are the only guy I love, and yet you seem to think I'm some loose bitch who would grab someone else the second I could. How about you realize that I love you, before I leave you?"

He snorted, slamming his hands on the table. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds, Ally? Realize that you love me before you leave me? Just a bit contradictory!"

"No, not really. You can love someone as much as you want to, but if the person is being an egotistical, delusional asshole, there is only so much you can do before you've had enough. So, stop. This is part of the problem. Every time we go somewhere you're convinced that I'm going to sneak off with whatever guy even looks at me. I can't help if they think I'm pretty. I'm polite, but you're crazy if you think I'd ever give someone else the time of day because you are the one I love. You're the one I think about at night. You. No one else."

His expression softened momentarily. "You could tell them once in a while to fuck off, you know."

"It's not important," she whispered softly, shaking her head. "They see me as someone pretty. The minute I blow them off, I'm no longer attractive."

He didn't seem satisfied by her answer. But Ally was done listening and he seemed to notice that. It grew silent again; it felt like nothing had changed. Finally, he grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry I'm being an asshole," he whispered. It was so quiet; Ally had to strain to hear it. A part of her wanted to be a jerk herself and ask him to repeat it, but she decided against it.

"I'm sorry if I make you think that I'm looking at other guys," she added.

They smiled at each other honestly for the first time all day. "So, how was work?" he asked as the waiter dropped off their food.

Ally took a bite of her burger and shrugged. "Tiring. I met a guy who was going off to war today. That was interesting."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he was probably our age." She left out the part of him asking for her address. "He must be so scared."

"Why do you care?"

Ally was taken back by his suddenly annoyed voice. Weren't they past this? "Because… he was nice."

"This is exactly what I mean!" he snapped, slamming his hands down on the table. "You go and talk to these guys and get that puppy dog look in your eyes." He growled, "You don't think I notice, but I do."

"Dallas, come on. Stop. Or I'm leaving."

He stood up, throwing a few bills on the table. "Forget that. I'll make it easy for you. I'll leave."

"But you're my ride home!" she called out after him, but he didn't stop. The door to the restaurant slammed shut and everyone's eyes were on the shocked girl. She bit down on her lip. How much longer could she take him like this? What happened to the nice boy she had met several years ago? Ally sighed, getting up from the table. Ally did the same, tossed a few bills on the table, and then went outside to call a cab.

**Letters from Home**

"It's four men to a room," Sergeant Lynch said as they piled off the bus, each holding their heavy bags of equipment and belongings for the next year. The base was decent; he had been right at that. It was quite busy as well; many armed and uniformed men and women were running about, talking and working, laughing and dozing off, even as they walked inside. There was a stage to the far left, Austin noted as they took another turn down a hallway that led to a door. Another step and they were down another hallway that led to what seemed to be where they would be living. He was terrible with all this military talk; he supposed he should know it, as he had been taught plenty while in training and others were constantly speaking that way, but as his superior continued to talk, more so yell, he felt himself zoning out.

The rooms weren't all that bad. Like he had said, there were four to a room. He was paired with Worthy, and two men from his unit he didn't know all that quite well. It was a very bare room, only four walls and bunk beds, like they were at camp. Perhaps they were, just not the same camp they were used to as children. Instead of swimming in a lake and having campfires, they would be playing in sand and being shot at with fire. He chuckled at his thought as Worthy yelled, "TOP BUNK IS MINE!" and dove for it. He just shook his head and threw his bag on the bottom. He didn't care. It wasn't like the beds were all that comfortable.

The other two men did the same and then faced their co workers. The taller of the two, a dark haired man with darker eyes was first to step forward. "Don't know if I ever introduced myself. Rocky is the name," he said with a smile. "Rocky Hanson."

"Austin Moon, and that's Dez Worthy," he introduced, motioning for the redhead who was sticking posters up on his walls and oddly enough, there was a picture of that girl he swore he hated.

"Taylor Mathews," the other man, a man with cautious and worried eyes said. Despite this, Austin could see he would be a decent person to room with. He seemed honest and true. That was always a good thing. But he almost seemed like he didn't want to be there… not in the sense that he didn't want to be in Afghanistan, but he didn't want to be in the army all together. He just seemed out of place in his camo uniform.

"Nice to meet you both," he added, going through his bags to find his laptop. "Any idea if we've got any connection here yet? So I've heard they do."

"Don't know," Rocky shrugged, but then added, "Would like to know. I've got a girl I'd like to email."

"You and me both," Dez piped up.

Austin almost laughed. "Really?"

"She said if I didn't email her, she'd kill me," he explained with a twisted smile. He shook his head. "She scares me, that girl."

"Interesting relationship?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Austin laughed. He turned away from his only real friend that he'd made since joining. "They're both a little odd, but they're decent people."

"Works for me," he agreed. "Well, we're stuck here for the next year so we might as well get to know each other. We've got a day to settle in too. Maybe we could play a board game or something?"

Austin shrugged, his mind starting to spin again. As the others began to chat, he sunk into the crappy army issued bed, feeling like he was sitting on rocks. The sheets were less than to be desired either, old and almost fraying in certain areas, he grew annoyed with the army. How was that okay? If they were going to give up their lives for their job for over a year, why were they not supplied with better amenities? It seemed unfair. The boys continued to talk around him and his eyes began to fall. It had been such a long day…

_He was running through an open field, the sun mid in the sky, and the slight smell of fruit in the air. He stopped short and spun around to see a brunette running his way. She was smiling at him, her eyes wide with wonder and happiness, her mouth reflecting the beauty of her face. He gripped her sides with gentle ease, and picked her up, laying her on the grassy ground below him. They were staring into each others eyes, like love sick puppies. Oddly enough, he felt fine; it was perfect._

_She giggled, something that sounded like music to his ears. How cliché, his subconscious though, but he argued with it. There was a melody to her voice._

_"You're sort of amazing," she whispered into his ear._

_He chuckled. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"_

_She shook her head and smirked back at him. "Modern age. Don't be so old fashioned."_

_He laughed at her comment and leaned towards her, and just as he was about to kiss her, the ground seemed to shift and suddenly, they were no longer in a beautiful place but one of sand and grit. The wind picked up, sending the sand into the air, and making them close their eyes and spit out sand. "What the hell?" he muttered._

_A shot went off in the distance, followed by a large explosion. The ground shook and an agonizing scream ripped through the air. The world went silent and he caught the eye of the beautiful girl before him. Her white dress was stained red, and the wonderful look on her face was gone and replaced was one of fear and pain._

_"No," he muttered, realizing what had happened. "NO!"_

"MOON!"

He woke with a jerk, glaring at the man before him. "What?" he spat.

"Sorry," the other man apologized. "Just wanted to see if you wanted to go check out the chow hall. It's about time for dinner. Unless you really want to eat an MRE."

"Yeah, yeah. Just give me a minute." He was incased in sweat. Dez seemed to notice something was off, but bit his tongue. "Just want … to you know, freshen up."

"Why bother?" his friend asked with a smug look on his face. "The moment you hit the warm air, you won't feel a difference."

He shrugged anyway and quickly changed into a new shirt and followed his friend out the door. The other two were gone, but the place was filled with many others. Chatter seemed to be the word to use to describe the chow hall. Filled with many men in uniform, Austin couldn't help but wonder just how many forces were there in this base alone.

They found some food and settled in with some others from their unit. The conversation flowed easily for the rest, but Austin didn't enter the conversation. He was quite aware that his dream had been about Ally, the girl he'd met at the diner before he'd left. Why she had come into his head and in a dream, or nightmare if he was honest he wasn't sure but he knew it wasn't something he'd like to repeat.

"You doing okay, man?" Dez asked quietly. "You've looked freaked since you got up."

"Just thinking," he lied, shaking his head.

Again, Dez had a feeling he was lying but he didn't want to press the issue. Austin knew his fellow battle buddy didn't know him that well to intrude and he was glad he didn't push it like some might. They might be best friends yet, he couldn't help but think. But the girl remained on his mind and he couldn't shake her. She just wouldn't go away.

An hour or so later, all four were back in their room and exchanging stories about their lives. Austin had even agreed to talk while they played a game of rummy with an old deck of cards one of the others had found. Rocky was the chattiest of the group, he spoke constantly of his life back home, of his girlfriend who he wanted to marry, of his best friends, and the large family he came from. If he was honest, Austin had stopped listening after a while. Taylor talked for a bit too, his answers more selected, as if carefully being allowed to be said, like he didn't want to be too close to the others. He didn't mind this. They didn't know each other yet.

"So who is the girl on the wall?" Rocky grinned.

Dez smiled slightly at the look on his friend's face. He glanced at the wall and shrugged. "Before I joined the army, I worked in a video store. She worked the concession stand… the music store… the uh… well, a lot of places around the mall. She's sort of crazy, but she means well. Even if she wants to kill me."

"So are you dating?"

"Not exactly," he said carefully.

The boy smirked. "Do you want to date her?"

"She's quite a catch," he laughed.

Austin even had to smile at this. He listened as they talked about her, when everyone's eyes were suddenly on him. "What's up?"

"I asked you… what about you?" Rocky said. "Any special girl?"

"No. Not really," he said. He wasn't exactly lying. He didn't know Ally and she certainly wasn't his.

"You're lying."

Austin was taken back by his voice. "What?"

"You're lying. I can tell. Who is she? She taken? Got a boyfriend?"

"No."

"So she's single?"

"I said no, there is no one."

Rocky laughed. "Nice try, but you can tell, man." Everyone's eyes were on him.

"Her name is Ally," he admitted.

Dez gave him a look. "You didn't tell me you met someone!"

"That's because I didn't tell anyone I met her. She was at place I stopped before heading to camp. She served me. And she was really nice, but she turned me down, so it's not like I'll ever see her again. Besides, why would someone even want to date me anyway? I'm overseas and can't be there with her, so it doesn't matter."

"Fuck that," Rocky said. "My girl has no problem waiting for me."

"Yeah, but you've been together for years."

"She doesn't know you," Taylor said, his eyes understanding.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I asked if I could write her letters, and she sort of freaked."

"So? Write her a letter anyway."

"I can't. I don't have her address."

"So?"

Rocky just didn't give up easy, did he? He looked at the boy and just shook his head. "I don't want to bother her."

The boy just smiled. "Well, if you like her, why not? What's the worst she can do? Not answer? Then she doesn't answer. Why not give it a try? Just get the address of the diner and take a chance. Maybe you'll get an answer."


	4. Chapter 4

**YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. Seriously. You're the best. Again, this chapter is a bit choppy to me, but once we get past the awkward parts of the story, it'll get good. As for the action we see in this chapter, this will always be the hardest for me to describe because there isn't much to really go with because most videos that are online to see of fights are usually bloody and violent, and that's not something I want to watch. With this chapter, you'll see a few things from both points of view and the very first letter as well. Free mail is anything sent from a military member. I have many letters addressed with free in the corner instead of a stamp. Best feeling seeing that in the mail.**

**Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

* * *

Austin thought about this instead of sleeping that night. It was stupid, really. He had a mission in only two days; he should have been putting his head into his job, not some girl he'd met for an hour. But she wouldn't leave his mind, and he was growing frustrated that every time he tried to think about something else, her face came back into his head. After hours of this, he sat up, glancing at the other bunks. Everyone else was asleep. That was the amazing thing about the military; you learned to sleep wherever. So many others, civilians would be terrified to sleep in a foreign land where battles went on around them… not his fellow buddies. He used this to his advantage, slipping out of bed and walking over to where Rocky had placed a large writing pad and a pen. He took a hold of it and brought it back over to his bunk, staring at it.

Wasn't it supposed to write itself? He thought the words would come easy once he gave in to writing to her. But he had only written her name so far and the date. What else could he say? There needed to be a certain kind of wording so that she would actually answer him. He snorted at this. He knew he was taking a major chance by writing her and the chances of hearing back were even less.

"Come on," he muttered. "Think."

_Dear Ally,_

_I hope you're doing well back in beautiful __Miami__, __Florida__. I know you said I shouldn't write to you, but you've been on my mind for the last few days. Through the plane trips and the bus trip to my base, and now on my mind in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. So, I apologize. I really, really hope you don't find this rude. Do you believe in things like fate? I don't mean like fairy tales and happily ever after, but more so… everything happens for a reason? What if I was meant to meet you?_

_I'm pretty surprised by how this base turned out to be. It's one of the nicer ones, according to guys on their second or third deployment. It's still pretty crappy. And there is nothing welcoming about hearing gunfire in the background during the day here. I don't think anyone could get used to that… but who knows? It's quite warm as well, but that's the desert. If you ever want to see sand, you should take a look here._

_Sorry, I'm rambling. My point was just to thank you for your kindness that day. Sometimes, you don't realize that little things you do to help someone go a long way. You made my last meal before this trip memorable and also wonderful and I thank you for that. It's good to see a person willing to go that extra mile, when they get nothing in return. You didn't expect anything, and you still did it. That makes you such a great person. Of course, I don't know you and I can't assume you're always like this, but so I've heard, I'm a pretty good judge of character. You glow, Ms. Ally. You have a special aura around you._

_So, I guess I'll keep this short. I'm enclosing my address in hopes that you'll change your mind and maybe we will have some sort of friendship. If not, please feel free to throw this letter out and go about your daily life. But please know you made me as a stranger a very happy person that day, and you deserve nothing but the best. You're a beautiful person, inside and out. Never lose that about you. It's hard to come by._

_Take care, and keep smiling,_

_Austin Moon_

Austin read the letter over, rolling his eyes at how much of a romantic he was being. But it needed to be said. The girl had left an impression on him and he wanted her aware. Hopefully, she understood that. And hopefully, it wasn't the last he heard of her.

**Letters from Home**

He'd come across a problem when he went to seal the envelope. He'd written his return address and wrote 'free' in the corner (stamps weren't needed for active duty military deployed), and when it came to writing down hers… he drew a blank. Where was he supposed to send it?

"I need your help," he said to Rocky the next day, holding up his letter. "I took your advice. I took a chance. But I don't know where to send the letter. I don't have her address."

Rocky smirked, apparently all knowing. "You do realize we live in the modern age of internet, right?"

"I don't see how that helps me."

Rocky brought up a search engine on one of the base computers and then quickly explained what he could do, "You know where she works. What are the chances that someone else has the same place in the same town?"

It dawned on him. "Oh!"

"Exactly," Rocky smirked. "Get that letter in the mail today."

**Letters from Home**

Austin knew fear. At least he thought he did. Fear was not doing the dishes after being told to and hearing a car door close outside your house. Fear was forgetting to hit save on a video game after playing for hours on end. Fear was that moment you're in the water at the beach and a wave almost knocks you face first in. That was the extent of fear for him before he joined the army. Normal fears.

Constant gunfire and swearing by higher ups were his new terrors.

They'd been at it for hours now. His back was killing him, being hunched over to remain small and unseen behind a rock that would only need one good bomb to break it and the men hiding behind it to pieces. His ears were ringing to a beat of gunfire. And he was pretty sure it wasn't going to end anytime soon.

Another set of rounds went off, more so the rival side, shaking the ground and sending shrapnel into the air. A few men cursed, trying to keep watch and give orders at the same time. His friends were scattered around him, all wide eyed and glistening with sweat. This wasn't boot camp anymore. He was in a fucking war zone.

"Moon, Worthy, proceed to support for Rupper."

He darted forward, rolling toward his destination thoughtlessly. It was something he'd gotten good at over the last few months. Pushing things away at times like this, relying only on his instincts and training to pull him through. He grabbed his gun, positioning it to cover one of the other men, nodding to Worthy who also took a step toward the mountains.

It rained rocks.

They scrambled for cover, trying to keep the most important places from harm until it stopped.

"Advance," his upper barked, noting no one had been harmed. "Move forward."

The group did as they were told, dodging fire from the Taliban. Austin had a hard time seeing because of the smoke and the debris, but he forced himself to move toward what seemed like death by insurgents.

"Back him, Posey! The fuck are you waiting for?"

"TAKE COVER!"

He thought hail was bad during the summer months in his hometown.

"CONTINUE!"

Grit was covering every inch of his sweat dripping body.

He couldn't hear anymore.

There was someone screaming at them, but it just sounded like jumbled words.

Waiting wasn't a fun game, especially when you're playing one of cat and mouse in a foreign land where no one can be trusted. The cheese was laced with poison and the cat had eyes bigger than it's stomach.

He remembered the ending of the mission. He remembered the men celebrating after successfully taking down a powerful man in the area. They were chatting excitedly, talking about how great a first mission it was. He was proud. But his head was whirling. Everything took on meanings that they never did before. And it was absolutely exhausting.

**Letters from Home**

A week passed with little excitement around her. The diner had it's regulars, college education was still murderous to those who planned to attend, and her social life included hanging out with her pet hamster and the occasional co worker who felt bad for the girl.

Her mind wandered one day in the late afternoon, the sun streaming onto the countertops, making pretty colors on the glass surfaces. The TV was playing in the background, the news repeating the same five stories over and over again, nothing gripping happening on that day.

The bells would chime every time a regular would leave, and she grew tired of putting a fake smile on her face.

The news changed.

"_New advances made on Taliban in mountainous __Afghanistan__ providence. Army officials have reported several high names were taken out this week after an intense firefight that miraculously left not a single US Troop injured. Army representative Major Ryan Cassidy speaks with us today about how this will effect the next year or so in the war."_

Ally turned to look at the TV as a man sharply dressed spoke about the war zone. Her mind drifted back to the boy fighting over there. Was he a part of this?

"_Maya, while this battle was a success in further moving into the mountains of the territory, it was a tiresome, long firefight for those involved. We were lucky that no one was injured. I speak for myself and many others when I say we have a great fighting force over there, protecting us. Not many could lead a team like that and pull out with everyone still together."_

"Makes you wonder how those boys are doing over there, doesn't it?" her boss said when Ally changed the channel, annoyed with the constant reminders of a boy she'd never see again who just wouldn't leave her mind.

Ally just sputtered, "I bet they need a lot of support from home…"

"Did I ever tell you I dated a marine during desert storm, Ally? He was wonderful."

"Really?"

"Yes, he was probably one of the best men I'd dated before I met my husband. He was sweet, charming and well mannered because of his training. It was a great time in my life."

"Was it hard to not have him around all the time? Especially with a war going on?"

"Well, then it was more romance than trying to put together a future together. He was away a lot, yes but I wasn't thinking about marriage then. We had fun. When we were together, we did things that none of my friends were doing. He made me happy. He was different from anyone else and despite the fear and worry he put me through when he was away, the time we spent together made it worth it."

"What ever happened to him?"

"I don't honestly know," she admitted. Her expression faded. "When we broke up, we tried to remain friends, but it was hard. I was working towards my degree and he was constantly with the marines. He got shipped somewhere else and back then, there wasn't internet or texting that we could do to keep us together."

"Can I ask you something?"

Her boss took a seat next to her and nodded. "Of course."

"I met a guy leaving for Afghanistan here a few weeks ago. He was sort of flirting with me and despite telling him I was taken, he's been on my mind. He asked for me to write to him. I said no. Does that make me terrible? It doesn't really look good for me to be writing to a guy when I have a boyfriend, does it?"

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why is it not okay?" her boss asked.

"Because I have a boyfriend."

"Were you planning on cheating on him?"

"What? No!"

"Then it wouldn't have been a problem." Her boss's expression softened. "Ally, I've noticed you've been on edge lately and I don't see Dallas coming in here much anymore. I'm guessing that's because he is the problem. I'm not saying that he is, so if he isn't don't take that the wrong way. But if he is, that seems to be your problem. You were afraid of his reaction, so you pushed the boy away."

"Maybe," she admitted.

"And now you feel bad about it," she continued.

Ally nodded.

"Well, you never know," Bridget said, standing up. "Maybe sometimes life has a funny way of giving you a second chance."

Ally grew confused. "What does that mean?"

Her boss pulled a piece of paper out from behind her back. It was an envelope addressed to her, and her eyes widened at the return address. Bridget smiled, patting her employee on the back. "You better open it. It looks important."


End file.
